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The Importance of Professional Photographs

For all businesses, no matter the size, good quality photography is essential to sell products and services. They are the shop window of any business with online content.

In the digital age photographs are everywhere and you need to make sure yours are standing out. Words will describe your product or service, but a photograph will show your clients what you have to offer.

It is tempting to take photographs yourself or find a cheaper alternative to paying a professional photographer. However, investing in good quality photographs will, in the long term, benefit your business. Poor quality photographs taken by an amateur will be seen as a representation of your business. Your website and/or social media presence are often what gives your clients and customers their first impression of you – this is an area in which you should invest some time, thought, and budget.

Below is a list of common mistakes in DIY product photography, something to think about next time you’re updating your website, social media, or offline content:

Light is everything in photography!

• Avoid shooting under fluorescent lighting
• Make sure the product is well lit, either by natural, indirect light, or with studio lights
• The product should be evenly lit, any shadows should be intentional
• Be aware that the light can affect the colour of the product in the photograph – a professional will know how to avoid this all together

In picture 1 the light is affecting the colour of the product; while in picure 2 there is no sense of scale as well as uneven colour

2. Consistency

• If you have a lot of photography on your website, for example, that were taken by different people, different locations, using different lighting each time may look unprofessional. Unless this is the intended style for your business, apply consistency to your photographs

      3. Styling, distractions, and filters

• Make sure your products are clean and in good condition before you photograph them
• If you are using props to ‘style’ the photographs, make sure they work and don’t distract from the product itself
• Avoid unnecessary distractions, check what is in the background of your shot before you take it
• Avoid filters, it will prevent your photographs representing what the product really looks like to your customer

This photograph was taken using a camera phone, taken under LED lights. There are harsh shadows and the overall scene looks flat and uninteresting

     4. The basics

• Make sure the photographs are in focus, the composition is good, and the crop is right for the intended use (for example, do you want to include some text on the photograph; leave blank space for it if so) 

     5. Is the photograph right for its intended use? 

• Remember that the aspect ratio (the ratio of the width to the height of the photograph and the way in which it will be viewed) has a bearing on how the photograph should be shot. The file size will also have a bearing on how the photograph can be used. A small jpg with a dpi (dots per inch) of 96 will be fine for web use but not for printed matter.

This final photograph is taken with a DSLR camera using studio lights; hopefully the difference between this and the above photograph, which is the exact same scene, is obvious!

You may have heard the phrase ‘content is king’; photography is your most powerful tool when it comes to content. Photographs can be used to not only sell your product online, but to build your brand on all social media platforms. They can also be used to engage your audience in blog posts and they are essential for printed matter such as menus, flyers, brochures, and leaflets.

Good quality photographs of your products, your business, staff and premises are by far the best way of engaging your customers. A good quality and creative commercial photographer will help you achieve this.

For information on Emma's services as a commercial photographer, please visit www.epmphotography.co.uk or check out the social media on Instagram  and Facebook